Mummichog
(Fundulus heteroclitus)
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Animal Type
Fish
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Exhibits
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Range
Atlantic Ocean
Overview
Mummichogs, also known as Atlantic killifish, are small fish found in shallower salt marshes and rocky tidepools along the East Coast. They range in coloration from olive-green to olive-brown. Males have pronounced stripes that can take on blue or orange hues during the breeding season. Females lack these obvious stripes and are usually lighter all over.
Mummichogs, along with their other topminnow and killifish relatives, belong to one of a few groups of fishes with poorly formed lateral lines. The lateral line is a sensory system found on the head and sides of most fish that detects movement or pressure changes in the water. Mummichogs have a few lateral line canals on their heads, which help them find nearby prey, but none on their bodies.
Quick Facts
Learn more about mummichogs! Did you know their eggs need access to air? Oxygen levels in tide pools and shallow salt marshes vary a lot, so female mummichogs lay clusters of eggs in shells or on plants at the highest tideline, where they are no longer submerged when the water recedes. The steady supply of air helps the larvae develop, and they hatch when a high tide rolls back in.
Mummichogs are found throughout North America's east coast in brackish and marine estuaries from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada to northeast Florida in the U.S. Outside their native range, these fish have also been introduced to coastal waters around Spain and Morocco, as well as the Philippines.
Mummichogs lack true stomachs, so they constantly forage and hunt throughout the day. Their diet consists mostly of phytoplankton and zooplankton as well as insect larvae, fish eggs and detritus.
Adult mummichogs typically reach 3 to 6 inches in length, with females being slightly larger than males.
The mummichog is a resilient species. It is equipped to handle the wide temperature and salinity ranges that come with living in estuaries and tidal marshes. Some individuals can even tolerate heavily polluted waters. Given this, their populations are considered stable.
As eggs, larvae and juveniles, mummichogs are preyed upon by larger fish, including adult mummichogs, and other predators such as mud crabs. Adult mummichogs often fall prey to other fish, blue crabs and wading birds.
Explore Exhibit Residents
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